Customer Reviews

Godzilla 2000

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marc Cerasini has written GODZILLA 2000, a story of the millennium, apocalypse and giant monsters. But this is not just a giant monster book. As Robert Price of Crypt of Cthulhu notes, Cerasini has taken these monsters and rid them of their taint of cartoonism.

This book continues the story of Godzilla who has appeared twice before (as seen in the movies Godzilla, King of the Monsters and Godzilla 1985). Some asteroids that pass through our system every 65 million years are coming around again. This time it looks like they will strike the Earth. But the asteroids are not the only threat. A Japanese research team has located Godzilla and he is awakening. Resources are now split between dealing with the asteroids and speeding up production of defenses against Godzilla.

Soon the first of the asteroids arrive and new monsters are seen to walk the Earth. A giant reptile crawls out of the Gulf of Mexico and terrorizes the Yucatan. An asteroid fragment causes insects in Kansas to mutate horribly. A researcher among the Alaskan Natives learns of a prophecy involving the Firebird. The Earth Spirit tries to contact various humans to warn that Godzilla is an ally and the Destroyer of Life is coming.

This almost reads like an DC Comics' Otherworlds tale. Imagine Rodan as the legendary Firebird or Mothra as the embodiment of the Earth Spirit. While old monsters are seen in a new light, Cerasini delivers a fast-paced tale full of action. If you enjoyed the old Japanese monster films you just might want to pick up this book and see the old monsters fresh as the day they were created.

This book is an okay book, but definitely not one of Marc Cerasini's best. His other Godzilla books have been much better, such as Godzilla Returns and Godzilla at World's End. In this book, I thought that the main character, Kip Daniels, was not a good character to play the part of the person who is going to save the world from everyone's favorite monster. The plot was kind of thin for my liking, and seeing how good Cerasini's other Godzilla books have been, I don't think it can really compare.

However, I did like the big action sequence at the end of the book involving the other monsters from previous Godzilla books. I also liked how Godzilla was plagued with the question of whether he was a friend or a foe. And though I thought the book was alright, the whole "The world must end because it's the beginning of the new millenium" thing was a bit overdone and not too believable. Now, not to take away from those other books concerning that subject matter, but this one doesn't compare to other Y2K books such as Y2K by R.J. Pinero.

Overall, I thought this book was good, but not one of Marc Cerasini's best. I would recomend this book to hardcore Godzilla fans, but not to someone just looking for a good read. A good boook, but not a classic, that's for sure.

In 1999 the Californian Kip Daniels, a fifteen year old, is selected to the G-Force team. That is ateam planned to train and fight Godzilla. Scientists thought he would return since he came to Japan fifty years ago. Dr. Mishra and Dr. Reyes have discovered an asteroid the size of Texas. Now the Earth is in trouble and Kip, Lori, Martin, Toby, and Pierce are still training.
Meteorite showers are crashing on the terrified Earth and plagues of mysterious monstes are unleashed. Varan is attacking Mexico and Texas, Giant Kamacuras in Kansas, And Rodan in Mount Rushmore. It was hardfor the military now. As we get closer to the year 2000it gets worse. Sooner or later Godzilla appears to trudge slowly across America. Will G-Force be successful? Is the oppinion of Godzilla really true? Is he friend or foe?
That question will be answered with one discovery. A bright golg star appears in th sky. It might of came from the asteroid explosion. Did they even explode the asteroid in time? Whatever it is, it doesn't look good. It might be the end of the world. Godzilla still trudges past Chicago. As the stargets closer, the U.S worries. Find out how this exciting book ends. Marc Cerasini wrote an intriguing book. The only qustion is, is Godzilla friend or foe?

Justin Jones

Godzilla Returns is an awesome book! It is the starting book in a series of Godzilla books, written by Marc Cerasini. It's about a young man named Brian Shimura that's hired to to work for INN, a news company. Suddenly, Godzilla rises out of the ocean and destroys Tokyo! Now, Brian and his friend, Nick Gordon, are out to follow Godzilla through the country. This book is really cool. Go buy it and enjoy it!

Marc Cerasini wisely treats everyone's favorite Kaiju King's comeback as a realistic threat to both Japan and the world (i.e. the actual loss of economic livelihoods and homes is explored and developed characters do die). It is this seriousness that gives Godzilla Returns (as well as the other novels in the series) an exhilirating thrill that the American movie lacked. While there is humor to be found it is not of the camp variety. Book reading Godzilla fans of all ages will need no convincing to add this essential American take on the King of the Monsters to their libraries.

Godzilla is back in a novel series for older readers. In this one, Godzilla emerges from the Pacific Ocean to bring destruction down on the defenseless city of Tokyo. The author's good attention to detail, his knowledge of politics, media, and military whatnot, make this novel a gem of science fiction.

Long after I've forgotten Devlin and Emmerich's effects laden lizard-fest, I'll still be thinking fondly of Marc Cerasini and his Godzilla novels. Reading these books is like taking a peek into a better world, where Godzilla movies are unencumbered by budget, unfettered by cautious studio executives, and where they can finally tell the stories we've been waiting to see.

There's a scene in this book, where a plan to contain Godzilla goes badly wrong, and a helicopter literally bounces down the creatures back. It's so vividly written and paced that I found myself forgetting to breath as the images came alive in my mind. Cerasini's love of the subject matter is obvious, and his skill in telling a tight and exciting tale is just as hard to deny. What's more, he manages to avoid some of the absurdities present in even the most recent Godzilla movies from Toho. The world in Cerasini's novels is one that will forever be marked by the emergence of the monsters, and the effects are progressive and remain evident from book to book.

Though the book is listed as being for "young adults", it has plenty to recommend it to "slightly older adults". Pick it up while you still can - then hassle Random House to bring out "Godzilla and the Lost Continent".

This book is slow until the battles start, even in between them it was slow. And the final battle was probably the slowest part of all. But still a great book!

This is a great book with action and suspense! The only problem was that they kept switching to a different story every few minutes. But still a great book!

This book is this movie all the G-fans really wanted the team of Emmerich and Devlin to deliver. Chock full of monsters and mayhem, a properly somber tone (the monsters actually kill and eat people) and, most importantly, a serious repect and deep love for the subject matter, Godzilla 2000 is the perfect read for any Godzilla fan of any age. An essential G-book.